Britain to rejoin EU’s R&D Horizon scheme after months of hard post-Brexit talks July 5, 2023 Britain and the European Union (EU) are edging closer to a deal on the UK’s re-entry into the Horizon Europe research programme. Sources said negotiators have produced a draft document following months of talks, with Rishi Sunak expected to consider it in the coming days. However, the prime minister could still reject the proposals over [...]
Public ‘expect’ council staff to work full five-day week, Michael Gove says July 4, 2023 Michael Gove has said people “expect” council staff to be working a full five-day week, amid a row over the government telling a local authority to cease a four-day week trial. The levelling up secretary has said he is a “strong believer” in the rule that council employees should be working Monday to Friday. It [...]
Meet the AI ‘pioneers’ behind Britain’s biggest infrastructure projects July 4, 2023 Businesses can benefit from artificial intelligence (AI) regulation creating “trusted brands”, the man using the technology to power the restoration of parliament – among other major infrastructure projects – has said. Rishi Sunak’s calls to regulate AI can benefit the industry, nPlan founder Dev Amratia has said, by allowing startups to position themselves as “safe, [...]
Sunak REFUSES to put percentage on chances of halving inflation this year July 4, 2023 Rishi Sunak has refused to put a percentage figure on his chances of halving inflation this year. The prime minister appeared at parliament’s Liaison Committee this afternoon where he was quizzed by MPs on subjects from Ukraine and national security to the cost of living. It came almost exactly six months after he made his [...]
Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt urged to raise investment to unlock £150bn economic boost July 4, 2023 Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt should ramp up government investment spending to unlock a £149bn boost to the UK economy, an influential think tank has urged today. Spending on quality capital projects like expanding renewable energy infrastructure and improving transport networks could “pay for itself” by yielding tens of billions of pounds in growth and [...]
Tories urge Sunak to cut migration amid record Channel crossings July 4, 2023 A group of Tory MPs have launched an alternative Conservative manifesto urging Rishi Sunak to slash migration figures amid a record number of Channel crossings in small boats. The New Conservatives group say their 12-point plan would see net migration down by around 400,000 before the next election and warn the PM “risks eroding public [...]
Cleverly hails ‘close and friendly’ UK-EU ties after Brexit in landmark Brussels speech July 3, 2023 James Cleverly hailed the “close and friendly” cooperation between London and Brussels in a speech to EU parliamentarians. The foreign secretary said the “level of trust” between him and European Commission diplomat Maros Sefcovic was part of the reason the Windsor Framework was secured. He accepted that it had taken “slightly longer” than many would [...]
Sue Gray: Partygate investigator broke Whitehall rules with Starmer talks July 3, 2023 Partygate investigator Sue Gray broke civil service rules “as a result of the undeclared contact” between her and the Labour Party, according to a Whitehall investigation. The former senior civil servant is due to take up the role as opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff after being cleared to start the job in [...]
Cleverly to hail ‘new chapter’ in UK-EU relationship in Brussels today July 3, 2023 James Cleverly is today expected to hail a “new chapter” in the UK-EU relationship in his first speech to the European Union Parliament in Brussels. The foreign secretary will welcome a new era of refreshed “close and friendly UK-EU cooperation” as he addresses the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (PPA) in Brussels today. It follows the [...]
Number of higher rate income taxpayers soars to record high 5.59m June 29, 2023 The number of Brits paying the higher rate of income tax has surged to its highest level on record, caused by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt freezing tax bands to help rebalance the public finances, official figures out today reveal. Some 5.59m people in the UK are being subjected to the higher [...]